Intergenerational Trauma and Indigenous Health in Australia

This essay examines the critical issue of intergenerational trauma and its profound impact on the health and well-being of Indigenous populations in Australia, specifically Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It begins by defining intergenerational trauma as the psychological scars passed down through generations due to traumatic events, particularly those stemming from colonization. The essay explores the historical context of colonization, including the dispossession of land, violent practices, and oppressive policies such as forced family separation, and racism, as key factors contributing to the perpetuation of intergenerational trauma. It then analyzes the ways in which these historical injustices have led to health disparities, mental health issues, and negative perceptions of health services within Indigenous communities. Finally, it discusses the implications for nursing and midwifery practice, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive approaches, trauma-informed care, and a deep understanding of the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization and racism to improve health outcomes.

Sir William Dean (Couzos & Murray 1999, p. 1) said that ‘The past is never fully gone. It is absorbed
into the present and the future’. Discuss intergenerational trauma in relation to the state of
Indigenous health in the 21st century and include the implications for nursing or midwifery practice
Introduction
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander citizens have a historical overview that
remains affected on the basis of perception related to their health facilities and
relevant outcomes which has an important role to understand them. It includes the
aspect of colonisation of European that contributes for disconnection of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people from their communities as well as facilities
respectively. However, it has been analysed that the problem of trauma, especially
the condition of intergenerational trauma is responsible for an effective contributes in
terms of psychological issues occurs between individuals belong to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander community. In context of this paper, it will focus on the
discussion related to intergenerational trauma and reason behind this problem takes
place between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander citizens that is related to their
current health status. It will also include the description about final implications of
nursing.
What is Intergenerational trauma?
The term trauma refers to a psychological condition of a person in which their
psychological way of responding to mentally catastrophic as well as overwhelming
incidents that cannot be deal with easily and hence left emotional scars of the same.
It can be considered as a kind of problem that can be transmitted from first general
who has observed or experienced the traumatic incidents directly to the subsequent
generation. Meanwhile, it has been evaluated that the problem of intergenerational

trauma is capable to transmit with the help of behavioural issues, use of harmful
substances, mental health problems and parenting practices.
Why Indigenous peoples in Australia have Intergenerational trauma?
In context of people belongs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, it has been
identified that they suffer from trauma and it is consider to be an outcome of
colonisation. It consist the problem of violent activities, loss of land & culture and
oppressive policies including forced elimination of kids from their families. However,
these are some of reasons due to which the problem of trauma can easily passed
from one generation to next generation along with having enormous effects
accordingly. Moreover, the relevant investigations indicates individual who were
experienced trauma then they are more likely to get involved in few of activities like
develop life style diseases, self-destructive behaviours variety of mental health
problems and many more.
1. Overview of Colonisation
The attempt of colonisation has been started which Europeans (British) were moved
to the Botany Bay which is situated nearby Sydney now. They are responsible for
occupying lands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in order to fulfil
economic purposes accordingly. However, it has been analysed that indigenous
people put efforts and even fight with shepherds and their flocks as well as
homesteads. It includes the fact that European reattributed predominantly through
the military with massacres not only of warriors but also children and women against
indigenous citizens. Moreover, it is observed that the attempt of colonisation has its
own aim of to remove Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in order to enable
the development land area they have with them. Meanwhile, them poisoned floor

was provided and intentional deadly disease were introduced to their community like
chicken pox & influenza that has enormous impact on indigenous people as they do
not have enough immunity to such kind of viruses common to Europeans.
It has been evaluated that the fighting skills of people belongs to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander community is not sufficient to stand against Europeans as it is
not required for them to face fights of large level. It includes the fact that Europeans
had horses, military and guns along with their superior benefit of winning war related
to the land area. Meanwhile, it is observed that aboriginal people were gravitated
due to increasingly occupied lands towards European settlements as their disrupted
food supplies because of convenience of European tobacco, food and implements.
However, the practice of colonisation is responsible to drive high death rate and low
birth rates among Aboriginal people whose estimated population was around only
75000 individuals at the turn of 20th century. It considers the situation of disrupting
related to aboriginal people that they become fringe dwellers to white society. Their
survival become problematic then they gets subjected to government regulations
which are supportive to protect them.
2. Racism
It is required to consider the differentiation and way of interaction due to which
people get oppressed by their racial background in past and present scenario.
The practice colonisation is responsible for long legacy of racism in Australia. It
includes that racism impact on people related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders community in various contexts. Meanwhile, it is observed that improved
knowledge of racism states that it is kind of rejection in society by believing on

superiority of one’s own group than others. It consist the fact that cumulative effects
were encouraged by cultural racism globally that is based on significant racial
differentiations. This kind of impacts was developed in entire culture with the role of
several pelmets like ideological beliefs, personal everyday actions of individuals for
culture and institutional structures. These effects are responsible for from
transmitting from one generation to next via affiliated cultures.
The current scenario about cultural racism regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander is not found easily in Australia. It is observed because of positive impact
related to education and employment outputs to reduce the misconception related to
government efforts and reverse racism. Meanwhile, it has been analysed that it is
known to be a common sense developed by some of members and spread it all
around about cultural racism. In contrary, the institutional racism refers to specific
procedures and structures of organisations or institutions in the society. As per views
provided by Jones, the prepared laws, practices and customs that produce as well
as reflect racial inequities in systematic manner in Australian society.
In context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, it has been evaluated that
evidence regarding active oppression exist in previous government regulations and
procedures which is controlled lives of individuals. It is observed that institutional
racism still exist in their system against aboriginal people for discriminating them in
present time. Basically, it also includes the fact that societal institutions still have
power for developing, sustaining and enforcing particular radicalised opinions of
individuals in current scenario. However, the economic, justice, education and health
system implemented may have a demerit for few of communities while these
systems cannot follow values related to culture and hence it will formulate the
situation of institutionalised racism accordingly.

The practices of institutional racism are considered to be embedding in their systems
of working. It is observed that this kind of racism impact negatively on health
condition and low expectancy related to life among Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders which are consequence of given racism. Meanwhile, the attempt of racism
is not only capable to hurt someone but it also has cumulative effects of people. It is
considered part for identifying specific communities by using ‘us and them’
perspectives. When person face racism regularly, then it will influence their
behaviour, perspectives of oneself, understanding of lives, one’s group & dominant
community and expectations towards life. However, it is observed that there are
many ways of overcoming with racism that has contribution towards psychological
reality of people of colour.
It has been identified that project of colonisation has an in extricable part of
European ethnocentrism including the belief of superiority of western aspects
whereas Aboriginal community people were inferior. This was primarily initiated by
military might as well as ensconced in laws particularly legislated for controlling the
lives of people belongs to aboriginal community. However, it turn into central
influence of this community people including self-conceptions and cultural
renaissance in one sense can be considered as absolutely essential in terms of of
oppressing individuals for reclaiming a sense of pride, dignity & self-worth and
validation values as well as histories related to culture of them. Moreover, it is
observed that racism is still known to be a reality for members related to
marginalised communities after making various changes in Australian society.
In context of racism, the representable example can be described with the help of
legislation. It includes the fact that there is a control and responsibility regarding
Aboriginal Australians to states as well as territories of the country. Meanwhile, every

newly formulated state establish Federation framed as well as enacted suites of
policies & legislation which were restrictive and punitive towards individuals belongs
to aboriginal groups.
Considering the efforts of government in New South Wales, they have established
Aboriginal protection board in the year around 1883 for providing power to that board
with an introduction of Aborigines protection Act 1909. It includes their cleared
intension in regards to restrictive and punitive laws under pretence of their own
betterment. It will impact in respect of forming cultural genocide of Aboriginal
Australians via family dispersion, cessation of practices related to culture and loss of
language accordingly.
In context of western Australian Aborigines Act 1905, it has been analysed that
special connotations of current scenario is due to gross erosion of right that results
into forcible elimination of kids as well as internment of Aboriginal individuals in bleak
reserves in order to live in despair and servitude respectively. It marked the start of a
period of formidable surveillance and oppression of Aboriginal people.
The WA Aborigines Act 1905 made the Chief Protector of Aborigines the legal
guardian of every Aboriginal person and of ‘half-caste’ children. At the local level,
police constables or pastoralists were delegated powers as Protectors of Aborigines.
‘Half-caste’ children were to be removed from their families so that they could have
‘opportunities for a better life’, away from the contaminating influence of Aboriginal
environments. Missions and reserves were established. The Chief Protector also had
the power to remove any Aboriginal person from one reserve or district to another
and to be kept there. Aboriginal people were forbidden from entering towns without

permission and the cohabitation of Aboriginal women with non-Aboriginal men was
prohibited.
Local Protectors implemented these new regulations. This history demonstrates how
racist beliefs became legislation. Aboriginal people were believed to be less than
human, and legislation was used to control them and confine them away from ‘the
public’. Such legislation reflected the dominant society’s perceptions of Aboriginal
people and how they ought to be treated. These perceptions were underpinned by
the influences of social Darwinism, where cultural groups or ‘races’ were seen to be
at different stages of evolution, and within which Aboriginal people were thought to
be primitive and childish. This period of colonisation profoundly affected the lives and
self-perceptions of Aboriginal people. In turn, Aboriginal peoples’ perception of white
people and white peoples’ health services is negative.